<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Traditions by CCaptainRex</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27461401">Traditions</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CCaptainRex/pseuds/CCaptainRex'>CCaptainRex</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Mandalorian (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon-Typical Violence, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:42:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,139</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27461401</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CCaptainRex/pseuds/CCaptainRex</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Mando realizes he's allowed to love you. </p><p>And he's not sure how to feel about that.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Din Djarin/Original Female Character(s), Din Djarin/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>281</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Traditions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There's an old saying that two people who are so alike can never work together, and only opposites can harmonize. You would like to say, in yours and Mando's case, that wasn't true. You'd learned, after working with him and the child long enough, that Mando wasn't much different than how the media portrayed him. Stoic, stern, rough, the 'galaxy's best bounty hunter' and whatnot. </p><p>What the media doesn't show is <i>why</i> he's like that. Mando worked best alone, despite how many times he was paired up with people, like yourself. He just attracted them, much to his dismay. He worked best with his own two hands and very rarely trusted others with the same. </p><p>Mando worked best in silence and worked best when you did the same. You didn't mind it as much as you thought you would. Sitting in silence, taking care of the child, running small repairs. You were supposed to be a 'crewmate' but really, you were just a built-in nanny, which is strange, considering Mando never lets the thing out of his sights. </p><p>Sure, you and Mando weren't exactly alike. But after enough time in space together, either you imprinted on him, or he imprinted on you, and you don't know which is worse. "We can set you up in a cabin if that's alright." </p><p>"That sounds lovely, thank you." You reply, knowing Mando won't. He was out on some mission, finding his 'space wizards' (don't ask) and Covert, and had been signed on by this little mountain village to help stop...Something. So, naturally, they put you up in a little cabin down the road, and this is where you realize your first mistake. </p><p>You never asked explicitly for two rooms. </p><p>Mando had a thing about two rooms, ever since you joined. Maybe it was the gentleman in him, maybe it was the fact if he was around you he couldn't take off the helmet. But every time, he asked for two rooms. And today...today you didn't. "It's alright, I can take the couch-" </p><p>"No." Mando says abruptly, and you turn back to look at him in confusion. "I'll be out for most days, you can have the bed." </p><p>"You'll need it more, you're the one off...off doing things." He never went into details about his jobs, leaving you a bit in the dark. "And I don't mind taking the couch." </p><p>"You are taking the bed." He takes your bag from your arms and tosses it onto the bed. "Understood?" </p><p>"Understood." You sigh, sinking onto the bed. You can't help the laugh that bubbles out of you and you fall back and sink into it, having missed a proper bed. The cot, if you could even call it that, on the Crest was nothing more than a steel board with a blanket, practically. There's a soft hump beside you and you turn to see the child smiling and bouncing on the bed. "Hello, little one. You excited for the winter solstice?" </p><p>The child just babbles on, waving his arms around as it jumps. By the time you turn to look back up at Mando, he's gone. </p><p>-</p><p>Mando doesn't return until late at night. It's strange, how quickly he's come to trust you around the child. Maybe it's because you're barely more than a child yourself, maybe it's because it's so rare to find someone genuinely nice anymore. He shucks off his boots my the door, covered in snow, and instantly goes to the bedroom. Well, your bedroom. </p><p>He peers around the doorway and you were fast asleep, the child's locked orb floating nearby. You were curled around a pillow, and a part of him wants to lay there beside you. He could fall asleep anywhere, so he doesn't mind you taking the bed. But he still wishes there had been two bedrooms, because then he could've avoided this whole mess he calls <i>feelings</i>. </p><p>He doesn't....not like you. But he's not about to admit how he does feel, and having two bedrooms means he gets his own space to not have to worry about you. Or feelings. Or the child. He walks back into the living room and falls onto the couch with a yawn, and he'll give himself a good hour or so to nap before the next shift. </p><p>How he gets roped into jobs like this, he doesn't know. Protecting a snow village from a snow monster. It's something right out of a story for kids, probably one he would've enjoyed when he was younger. But he doesn't forget how happy you were to be off the ship, or how happy the child was to be in snow, so he won't complain. </p><p>Sleep doesn't come easy for him, but when he does eventually doze off, he feels like he'd woken up a second later by the shrill sound of a kettle going off, followed by cursing. "Shush," His eyes open to watch you move around the kitchen, talking idly to the child whose perched on the countertop. He slowly sits up and finds a blanket draped over him, and he wonders how passed out he had to be not to feel you place it over him. You look over with a sigh, and approach with two mugs. "Sorry about that, I don't know how to work kettles." </p><p>"S' fine." He mutters, taking the mug and giving you a look from behind the helmet. </p><p>"I know, I know, I'm going to take the child out to see the winter market." The winter market? The winter market doesn't open until-Mando's head snaps to the side to stare out the window, and he definitely slept more than an hour. You'd seemed to sense his unease, and gently place a hand on his shoulder as you pass. "Relax, you've only been asleep for about three hours." </p><p>"You should have woken me." He stands and gathers his things, and you tutter as you set the child into the bag on your hip. </p><p>"Belive it or not, you need sleep." He strides past, and you hold out an arm to stop him. It really doesn't do much, and he could easily pass, but he stops to humour you. "Drink that hot chocolate, and eat something remotely healthy, and then you may go." </p><p>He just gives you a look and you return the same one, and sometimes he wonders if you can see through the helmet. With a sigh, he turns to the small kitchenette and picks up a piece of fruit and returns to the couch. "Happy?" </p><p>"Yes. Now, all the curtains are closed, and the door will be locked, you should be okay." He's never had to tell you about his creed, really. After the basic rumours and him not taking his helmet off around you, you seemed to pick up pretty quickly how he works. You didn't have to close all the blinds or make him hot chocolate, but you did anyway, and he hates how it makes his heart do <i>things</i>. "Have fun doing...whatever it is you do." </p><p>You leave with a hum and he hears you lock the door, and he waits five minutes until he slowly pulls off his helmet and takes a sip of 'hot chocolate'. You keep introducing him to new foods, or drinks, and sometimes he doesn't mind them. Whatever it is you've made him it's overly sweet and has no caf in it, but it works as a warm drink on this stupid snow planet. </p><p>He knows he should be getting a move on, hunting down whatever beast is terrorizing the town, but instead, he sits and finishes his drink and fruit like you asked. He knows when he leaves, he's not going to return for hours, and he silently dreads it. But all the same, he gets up and leaves and tries to track down a best he's pretty sure doesn't exist.</p><p>When he does finally return, he's surprised to find you asleep on the couch, orb floating nearby. He stands over you for a moment before realizing it's kind of creepy, and that you're asleep here because you want him to take the bed. </p><p>He hates when you're thoughtful. </p><p>He bends down and slowly picks you up, careful not to jostle you. Despite that, you still wake easily, and he feels you tense before slowly relaxing into his arms as he carries you to the bedroom. You grip onto his cuirass with one hand and rub your eye with another, and he hates how...adorable it is."...Mando?" </p><p>"I told you to take the bed." He says quietly as he sets you down. When he pulls away, your hand comes up to catch his and tugs twice, and he catches himself with his knee, almost collapsing on top of you. </p><p>"But you need it more." You say with a yawn, and he scoffs. </p><p>"I can sleep anywhere, you can't. You take the bed." He says in his tone that means 'and that's final,' and normally you don't go against him. But probably because you just woke up, you're defiant and pull on his arm all the same. </p><p>"Take the kriffing bed." You mutter, and Mando suppresses a laugh. It's very rare to hear you swear, at least deliberately in front of him. You tug on his arm again, and against his better judgement, he slowly sits on the bed beside you. "See? Was that so hard?" </p><p>He rolls his eyes and pulls off his boots, and you don't make a move to leave the bed. It hits him suddenly when he turns back and finds you fast asleep. Now, he could go take the couch. Or move you back to the couch. Those are the smart two options. Instead, he slowly lays down beside you, careful not to touch you, and wonders if you'd care. </p><p>If you'd wake up at some point with him beside you and freak out. If he's overstepping a line. But there's a part of him that so desperately needs company, that misses the days when he was younger and could sleep with company around him and not worry about his throat being slit when he woke up. </p><p>You shift in your sleep and Mando tenses before you ease back in with a murmur. He closes his eyes and settles into the mattress, and you're right. </p><p>The bed is far more comfortable than the couch. </p><p>*</p><p>You shift with a yawn, the birds of this planet chirping early, and you hate being a light sleeper. If you were like Mando, you'd sleep through it. Sometimes you think he's just being stoic and still but really he's asleep, tucked in the most uncomfortable positions. Your eyes flicker open, wondering if he came home last night, and your eyes stare into a chest plate. </p><p>Mando's chest plate. </p><p>You panic for a brief moment before realizing he's asleep beside you, chest rising and falling steadily, and your brain races to figure out why exactly he's asleep in bed beside you. You now remember him coming home, picking you up and carrying you to bed, and then...then you just passed out, and Mando decided to sleep beside you. </p><p>You smile softly to yourself, happy with the little victories, and that he trusts you enough to sleep beside you. He's rigid on his side, and he's definitely being careful not to overstep whatever boundaries he's put in place beside you. You hear the child coo and slip out of bed, the sun just beginning to rise. "Hey, little buddy. You awake?" </p><p>The child blinks up at you, and you gently pick him up and rock him. You carry him into the kitchen with a yawn and smile over at the tree you'd set up. The Winter Solstice was your favourite time of the year, even if only a few planets celebrated it. The presents, the snow, time spent with family and friends, you loved it all. </p><p>Yesterday you'd gone out and gotten a tree to 'decorate', even if you were only here for a little bit. You'd strung little homemade ornaments you made with the child, along with some pinecones and things like that. The villagers seemed to enjoy new company, and you'd spent all day at the market. </p><p>This, this was the one thing you missed working with Mando. You were always on a planet, always moving, you missed being able to settle down and talk with friends and have fun planet things to do. Yesterday you made your first snowman in years, and it made you equally happy and sad. You missed home, you missed friends, and you missed the winter solstice. </p><p>You go about getting breakfast ready, just some toast for you and meat for the child. Mando eats whatever he wants whenever he wants, but you still set out a bowl of fruit and start getting more hot chocolate ready, happy he'd actually drank some yesterday. Maybe he poured it down the sink, maybe he didn't, but the mug was mostly empty and you were happy. </p><p>You hum as you go about your work, and there's a heavy thud from the room over. Both you and the child turn in sync as Mando wrenches the door open, before staring you down. His posture suddenly becomes ridged as he straightens himself, arms dropping from the doorframe to his side. You wouldn't be surprised if there were imprints it in from how hard he was gripping the door. "Good morning. Sorry about last night, this little womprat-" You take a minute to bop the child on the nose. "Tuckered me out yesterday." </p><p>"It's alright." Is Mando's immediate response, followed by "Is that a tree?" </p><p>"For the Winter Solstice." You reply, taking a sip of the hot chocolate and burning your mouth. Mando walks over the child and picks up his breakfast, sitting them both down on the couch to feed him. "Do you celebrate the Winter Solstice?" </p><p>"We only celebrated Mandalorian holidays." Ah, that makes sense. Considering he's a Mandalorian and all. </p><p>You perch yourself on the arm of the couch and gesture over to the tree. "Well, tradition is that you decorate a tree with family, and then you put all the presents under it and a star at the top. Me and the child made the decorations yesterday." </p><p>"There are presents under the tree." Mando stares down the little wrapped packages under the tree, and you smile to yourself. You'd picked something out for the child and him yesterday, something small. You knew Mando didn't do a whole lot or get a lot of recognition, so you thought to buy him something as a gift. Would he like it? Probably not. But it's a gift nonetheless. "Who are they for?" </p><p>"Who do you think?" You say with a laugh as the child rips the fish from Mando's hand and shoves it into his mouth. "You and the child." </p><p>"Me?" He asks, almost incredulous. </p><p>"Of course. It's the season of giving after all, and I thought I'd get you something." Mando doesn't say anything for a long time, too focused on feeding the child and being lost in his own thoughts. You get up from the couch and grab the bowl of the fruit from the counter, returning to hand it over to him. "You should eat before you go, retain some of your strength for the day." </p><p>Mando stares down at the bowl of fruit like it personally offended him. "I'm fine." </p><p>"Well, I'm going to go take a shower, eat if you want. But if you collapse into a heap in the snow and become an icicle, it's not my fault." You can tell he's glaring at you, so you just smile back and head off to the small refresher, and pray they have hot water. </p><p>-</p><p>Mando's feet drag as he finally gets back to the village, and he knows he should go find the villagers and tell them there beast has been taken care of and get his money. But his feet drag him towards you, back towards home, and all he wants is to collapse into bed and sleep for a thousand years. </p><p>Though, he should probably take care of the wounds lining his chest too. He pounds his fist on the door, having lost the keys to the cottage awhile ago. He knew you were a light sleeper, and you answer the door within a minute of him knocking. You squint up at him with a blanket draped around your shoulders, and glare at him like a mother would to a disobedient child. "Where have you been?" </p><p>He doesn't answer and just moves past you, abandoning his boots and his cape as he goes. He collapses onto the couch with a grunt and tears off his front chest plate, and almost instantly you're at his side with a first aid kit. You don't speak, just kneeling beside him on the couch and taking in the damage. </p><p>It might be the blood loss talking, but it's one of his favourite things about you. He doesn't like to talk or have to carry conversations, and you've always been good with keeping the silence or filling it with the sound of you humming or talking to yourself. "Maker, Mando, what happened?" </p><p>"You should see the other guy." He jokes, and you look up with a shocked laugh. </p><p>"Did you just tell a joke?" He shrugs and winces, and you turn back to his wounds. "Can you, uh," You words falter on your tongue. "I need to get past your shirt to get to your wounds." </p><p>Which means being shirtless in front of you. He's always been particular about stuff like that, and he knows why you hesitate. Slowly, he tears off his shirt and gloves as you sit back until he nods at you. He winces as you clean them, and your other hand rests soothingly on his side, rubbing soft circles into his skin. </p><p>It feels both comforting and so foreign, not used to having anyone this close. "This is going to sting a lot, okay?" </p><p>"Just get it over with." He grits his teeth as you run rubbing alcohol over it, and he bites out a few curses he's not proud of. You hum softly as you go about your work, applying bacta patches to his wounds. His fists clench and unclench in his lap, and you're so close. Having been curled up in blankets, you radiate warmth out to him, and he wants nothing more to reach out and hold you. </p><p>Instead, he lets you pack up, and keeps his hands in fists to keep himself from doing anything reckless. "Any other wounds I should know about?" </p><p>"No." He responds stiffly. You raise an eyebrow at him and he huffs, turning to show you the gash currently scanning across his back. You gasp, hands moving to his back gently. </p><p>"Mando, why didn't you show me earlier?" You unpack the first aid kit, again, and gently run a hand up his spine. He tries to stop the shiver it causes, but it still tremors through him. You don't mention it, going back to working on his wounds. He winces as you wipe it down, hands gripping into one of the blankets on the couch. </p><p>Glancing down at it, he realizes you'd compiled all the blankets in the cabin into a nest on the couch, and he definitely woke you up when he got home. His thoughts are cut off by a gasp, and he clenches his fists into the fabric again. </p><p>"Sorry, sorry, just a bit left to go." You say quietly, before bandaging up the cut. Your hand smooths over it, and he's starting to find your touch addicting. Anytime you pull away, he wants nothing more than to touch you again. Instead, he shifts to face forward again, and you hesitantly package everything up again. "I'm going to assume that's the only wound you're hiding from me." </p><p>"You would be correct." He replies, and you move over to the sink to wash your hands. His eyes follow you, and this is really becoming a problem. He doesn't know what it is about this blasted planet or cabin but something makes him so much more drawn to you he has to turn his head and look at anything else. </p><p>"How's the beast?" He doesn't like discussing work with you because more often then not, it isn't pretty. This time it was a bloodbath - Both his and the beast, which was some mutated tauntaun <i>thing</i> he can't even describe. "Was it worth all the hassle?" </p><p>Mando nods and then realizes your back is still turned to him. "It was." </p><p>"Well, at least we didn't come all the way out here for nothing." You turn and smile at him, and gesture towards the bedroom. "Now you need to get some rest, I refuse to have an injured man sleeping on a couch." </p><p>"I've slept on worse." He replies and you glare at him. He finally huffs and stands, and he watches your eyes flicker to his chest and back up, definitely not used to seeing this much skin. "If you insist." </p><p>"I do. Now go get some sleep." </p><p>*</p><p>Why was it always storms? </p><p>The howling wind had woken you up, and you'd realized that at some point a storm picked up at some time of night, and you were frozen to your core, despite the numerous blankets you had wrapped around yourself. You sit up for a moment and try to think of something to do. The child is still asleep peacefully in his orb, and Mando is in the next room...You think back to that night you'd spent together, to helping mend to his wounds, and all you can think about is how warm he was to the touch.</p><p>Not feverish, just wonderfully warm, and you wander down the hall with a plan forming in your head.</p><p>You creep into Mando's room and hiss at the biting cold. Mando was asleep, at an awkward angle like always, and you hover over him for a moment. "Mando?" You whisper, and he doesn't wake. You know better than to touch him (and get your arm snapped in two), so you shuffle your feet awkwardly and take a deep breath. "Mando?" You ask louder and he snaps awake, sitting up with a grunt and looking around before his helmet settles over you.</p><p>"What? Are you hurt, is the child-" You sit down on the edge of his bed with a sigh, and quick;ly wave your hands to cut him off. </p><p>"Everything's fine, I'm just freezing." There's a question hanging in the air that you can't ask. It's the whole reason you came in here, it's the whole reason you're blushing despite the darkness. You want to sleep in the bed, with Mando, and can never ask him that. What if he freaks out? What if you overstep a line? "A storm picked up in the night, I swear snow's coming through the walls." </p><p>Mando sits and stares for a moment before gesturing awkwardly to the bed, and you don't waste any time crawling under the covers. He lays almost awkwardly still, hands linked over his stomach, and you curl up into a ball with your blankets. "I told you to just take the bed." </p><p>"You're injured," You say as you roll to face him. "You deserve the bed." </p><p>"Well, what good is it if you're going to come in and sleep on it anyway?" You both lay in silence for a moment, unsure of how to answer the question. Maybe you should've just shared the bed from the first night on. Maybe, just maybe, you both should have approached your feelings much, much earlier. </p><p>But instead, you're laid here silently, side by side, and you have no idea what to do. "I can go if you want-" </p><p>"No." Mando says, a bit too fast, and he quickly turns his helmet to look up at the ceiling. You smile and shift yourself ever so closer, just to poke his arm. </p><p>"I'm starting to think you like me here." You whisper, and Mando rolls on his side to face you. You panic for a moment, worrying you'd broken a boundary until he slowly reaches out and moves a strand a hair from your forehead. </p><p>"I'm starting to think <i>you</i> like <i>me</i> here." He says, and you almost don't make out his voice he's talking so quietly. His hand moves to gently rest on your arm, and you swear it burns a hole through you. </p><p>"And if I do?" You finally respond, and Mando doesn't say anything. He just moves his arm around your back and pulls you against his chest, and he tucks his head on top of yours. He's still shirtless and radiates warmth, and you melt into him. You smooth a hand over one of his bandages, and his free hand comes up to cradle yours. </p><p>You can hear and feel his heart ramming against his chest, and you're glad you're not the only one freaking out. This...This is a major step, considering the most you'd ever come in contact with him before was once helping with a cut on his arm. Now, you're <i>cuddling</i> with him, in bed, the night before the Winter Solstice. </p><p>Mando's heart rate slowly flattens out, and you realize that's he's fallen asleep, his hand still cradling yours. You have tried to deny that whatever existed between you and Mando was a thing. That you cared about him and liked him and would go to the ends of the universe and back for him. </p><p>Now? Now it's a lot harder to pretend that there's nothing going on. You shiver and wrap the blankets closer around you, and with a sigh, you let go. You let go every pent up thought, every hidden feeling, and for once you just...let this happen. You let Mando hold you, like there's nothing else in the world he'd rather do, and you let your eyes finally flutter close, and you let sleep drag you under.</p><p>*</p><p>Mando...Mando is panicking. Was it his intention, last night, to cuddle you? No. No, he was being nice, and letting you sleep next to him, and then his stupid emotions got in the way and how he was stuck here, with you passed out on top of his arm that was going numb. He didn't mind it really, having you close. You looked so calm, so at peace when you were asleep. With his free arm, he moves more hair out of your face with a smile. </p><p>If there's one thing he's missed, with all the armour and the creed, it's touch. Even just the little things - A hand brushing over his, the feeling of someone patting his shoulder, everything was taken away from him by his armour. Now, he had you up against him, and it felt like heaven, someone next to him again. </p><p>Carefully, he traces mindless shapes on your arm and then starts to panic again. What is he doing? First letting you sleep with him, a lie he'd say was solely for warmth, but now he was treading over territory that he wasn't sure he was allowed to explore.</p><p>You shift and murmur in your sleep, a cute habit he's seen you do. Whether it's a nap in the pilot's seat, or on your cot, occasionally you'll just...say things. They aren't real words, just hints of your dreams, and it always makes him wonder what goes on in your brain. He finally puts an end to the panic, moving well past the point of no return, and ever so gently rests his hand on your cheek. </p><p>If you were to wake up right now, he wouldn't know what to say. What to do. He'd like wrench his hand away and pretend nothing had ever happened, or maybe he'd leave his hand there to see what you'd do. Instead, you remain asleep and nuzzle softly into it. After a second too long he finally pulls away, letting his hand fall uselessly onto the bed.</p><p>Suddenly, there's a hand on his side and he jumps, wrenching his body around to stare at the child, who somehow got out of his orb, climbed the bed, and was now sat behind Mando. You startle awake as Mando slips his arm out from under you to pick up the kid with a yawn, and the kid blinks down at him blankly. "Good morning, little one." You whisper with a laugh, raising your finger to play with his hand as you rest your head against Mando's shoulder. "Did you escape from your cage again?" </p><p>"I swear he can bypass child locks," Mando mutters, and it feels so domestic. His foundling, you, and him and laid in bed on a winter morning like it's completely normal. </p><p>"That's just his wizard powers." You take the child from him and set it down between the two of you. "Are you excited for presents?" The child doesn't answer, and instead makes a garbled sound. "I'll take that as a yes."</p><p> Mando gets up first and slowly starts to put on his upper layers again, as you stay in bed to play with the child. You laugh at something silly the child did, and it hits Mando at exactly that moment that maybe, just maybe, what he's feeling is okay. There's nothing in his creed, nothing in his life stopping him from being close to you. There's no rules, there's no worries, he...he can be close to you if he wants. It would be dangerous and risky to put your life at risk that way but really, isn't he already putting your life at risk when you take care of the child for him?</p><p>He's allowed to love you. </p><p>And he's not sure how to handle that. </p><p>"Well come on, let's go open presents." You hop out of bed with a spring in your step despite the fact it's early, and wind and snow whip at the walls. You weren't lying when you said there was a storm last night, looking out the window Mando can't make anything out. You'll definitely be stuck out here until the storm slows, but he's okay with that. </p><p>You bounce the child on your hip as you sit by the tree, and Mando grunts as he sits on the couch to watch. You hand a small box to the child, and he just stares down at it before shredding the paper to get to the box. It's some small stuffed animal, and the child's first instinct is to put it into his mouth. You laugh and pull it away, waving it around in front of the child's face. "What is it?" </p><p>"It's a stuffed tauntaun. I thought it was cute." You say with a small laugh. "Did you like your present from Santa little one?"</p><p>"Santa?" Mando asks, confusion dripping off of his tone. You glance up at him in equal confusion before your face relaxes, and he wonders how many normal things he's missed out on in life. </p><p>"It's this story about a guy who brings you presents for the Winter Solstice. It's for children." You lean back and grab the smaller box from the tree and hold it out to him, and he carefully takes it. </p><p>He's never really gotten a present before. Not like this. Not with a bow and wrapping paper and a little name tag that says 'The Mandalorian' on it. He carefully opens it, like he might break it, and it's a little wooden carved...something. He traces a finger over it, and looks up at you for answers. "What is it?" </p><p>"It's apparently a good luck charm." You say as you stand, the child still sitting and chewing on his new toy. "This was you won't get beaten up by any beasts." </p><p>"I don't a good luck charm," <i>I have you</i>. That's what he wants to say, but instead, it comes out ungrateful and he feels like he should punch himself. But you, always understanding somehow, just laugh and gently press a hand to his shoulder. </p><p>"Well, it can't do you any harm, can it?" No, he supposes it can't. At least now he has a little reminder of you to carry around with him. You leave to go start the kettle and Mando grabs his bag from beside the couch. Yesterday, before heading out to hunt the beast, he stopped by the market in the hopes of finding something for you. </p><p>It's a lame gift, and isn't anything big, but for stuff like this its the thought that counts right? The box is a bit crumpled, having been through a battle with a beast, but it should still be good. "I got you something." </p><p>"What?" You turn from the kettle with a look of shock on your face that equally excites and wounds him. You hadn't expected anyone to get you anything for the Winter Solstice, despite the fact <i>you're</i> the one who actually celebrates you. You carefully take it from his hands and stare down at it like it's holds all the secrets to the universe, before looking up in confusion. "Who's Din?" </p><p>Mando blanks before realizing he'd written down his real name on the box. How could he have been so...reckless? He'll blame being tired, and injured, or something, but he'd written his real name on the box and now you knew. "It's me. Y-You can only call me that on the crest, when no one else is around-" He's cut off by you basically throwing yourself at him, and he's even more confused when he realizes it's a hug. You're hugging him. And you haven't even opened the gift yet. "What are you doing?" </p><p>"Hugging you." He slowly wraps his arms around you, and he knows for you the hug must not be comfortable with all the armour. "Thank you, Din." That sentence alone sends a shock through his heart. He likes hearing you say his name, as strange as it sounds. </p><p>"You haven't even opened the gift yet." He mutters, and he's glad he's wearing the helmet, or else you'd see how badly he's blushing right now. You open it and laugh softly, taking out the small snowglobe. "The people at the market said this was a good gift." </p><p>"It's a great gift. Just don't let the child eat it." You both turn to watch the child hold out the toy and then bite into it again. "Alright, little buddy, let's get you some breakfast." </p><p>-</p><p>In the span of a week, Mando-No, not Mando, Din-had slain a beast, shared his bed with you, told you his name, and got you a gift. You're equally over the moon and confused about why exactly it had all happened this way, but you weren't complaining. The town was all set up for the Winter Solstice celebrations and Din was haggling with his employers about whatever his job was. </p><p>It's strange, falling for someone without ever seeing their face. You could tell from all his little movements how he was feeling, what he was saying, what he'd do next. He turns his head to look over at you and catches you staring, and you just smile at him and wave the child's arm. He stills, nods once, and turns back to talking. </p><p>At least it's better than nothing. </p><p>A minute later Din comes up the stairs of the porch to say something to you but stops and looks up. "What's that?" </p><p>Your gaze follows his up to the green leaves tied about the doorway, and your cheeks flare red. Someone had put mistletoe above your door. You turn to look at some of the villagers, who look over and smile expectedly. "They want you to take your helmet off." </p><p>"Pardon?" You gesture up at the mistletoe with a smile. </p><p>"It's mistletoe. If two people get caught under it, they have to kiss. They probably put it up so you'd take off your helmet." Din doesn't respond, just going eerily still, and you suppose now is as good as a time as any. You get on your tiptoes and kiss the side of his helmet where his cheek would've been. </p><p>Din freezes once more, and you laugh as you pull away. Din's hand slowly comes up to his cheek, and it's cute how unused he is to all this. You shoulder your bag and head down the stairs, and it isn't until you're in the Razor Crest and in hyperdrive that he brings it up. "You didn't have to do that." He pauses for a moment, staring out into space. "Kiss me." </p><p>"Well, I had to keep up traditions, didn't I?" </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I've discovered that I only ever seem to write sharing-a-bed/healing-each-others-wounds tropes. </p><p>Does that stop me? No lol</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>